SI Records
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 45, Smithsonian Institution, Office of the Secretary, Records
These records document the administration of the Smithsonian Institution during the tenure of Charles D. Walcott, its fourth Secretary, who served from 1907 to 1927. This period gave a deceptive appearance of strength to the Institution's life. Walcott himself, perhaps the last of the nineteenth-century scientist-politicians to combine a distinguished scientific reputation and polished ease in the world of political Washington, lent the Institution considerable support from his wide experience and many friends among the powerful of the day. The Institution's staff also boasted an able corps of scientists and senior administrators. Several new programs were developed during these years--the National Gallery of Art (now the National Museum of American Art) and the Freer Gallery of Art, in particular. These two galleries gave the Smithsonian its first real grounding in fine arts and rounded out the vision of the Institution as a place hospitable to all fields of learning.
Yet with the benefit of hindsight, these accomplishments can be seen to have masked real weakness, described either as the Smithsonian's failure to adapt its perception of itself to the changing world or as a lack of money.
When the Smithsonian was created in 1846 the corpus of its endowment was somewhat more than $500,000.00. It had few rivals elsewhere in the country. However, with the growth of large-scale private philanthropy after the Civil War, the Smithsonian's means shrank steadily in comparison to the endowments of leading institutions like the Sheffield Scientific School at Yale or new entrants like Stanford and the University of Chicago. No doubt this situation developed in part because the Smithsonian had no real alumni. It received a few small gifts from well-to-do members of its own staff and one moderate gift from Thomas George Hodgkins, a naturalized English eccentric. For all else it relied on small appropriations from the federal government, for which it performed certain services such as curating the collections of the National Museum. Coupled with meager financial resources was the Regents' suspicion of new and nonscientific endeavors. It is likely, for instance, that the Regents would have refused Charles Lang Freer's gift of a gallery of oriental art in 1906, had Theodore Roosevelt not obliged them to accept it. In the same way, the gift of certain patents on electrostatic precipitators by Frederic G. Cottrell in 1911 was politely shunted onto other shoulders, leaving the Smithsonian a remote beneficiary of the income. The Smithsonian's aloofness was in sharp contrast to the willingness of other institutions to accept such gifts. How this attitude arose is not clear. Perhaps it was an unconscious extension of Joseph Henry's early determination to associate the Smithsonian's name only with "worthy" purposes. However that may be, the Smithsonian was very late in the field in trying to augment its endowment. Walcott had begun to plan a campaign to raise $10,000,000.00--documented in record unit 46--which collapsed with his untimely death in 1927. Thus the Institution was to enter the era of the Depression in very straitened circumstances.
This record unit documents the growth and management of the Smithsonian from 1890 to 1929. Of special interest is the Institution's entry into the field of the fine
arts through the creation of the National Gallery of Art and the Freer Gallery of Art. The Smithsonian continued to pursue a wide variety of other interests as well. Thus,
the records deal with the following topics, among others: aviation; the American School of Archaeology in China; the Carnegie Institution of Washington, D.C.; the Cinchona
Botanical Station, Jamaica; many international congresses; numerous national and international expositions, especially the Panama-California Exposition, 1912-1916, and the
Panama-Pacific Exposition at San Francisco, 1914-1915; the George Washington Memorial Association; the Harriman Alaska series; the Kahn Foundation for Foreign Travel of American
Teachers; the Koren Expedition to Siberia; the Langley-Wright aerodrome controversy; the Montezuma solar observatory at Calama, Chile; solar observations at Mount Harqua Hala,
Arizona, and Mount Wilson, California; the Naples Zoological Station; the National Academy of Sciences; the National Research Council; publication of Mary Vaux Walcott's
This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.
Sketch of the Smithsonian Institution's exhibit at Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, California, in 1915. [Image no. SIA2012-2862]
A brochure for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, California, in 1915. [Image no. SIA2012-2600]
Records in this series are related to the operation of the Institution in all its aspects. They are arranged hierarchically, alphabetically, and chronologically thereunder.
This pledge sheet lists the recommendations of the U.S. Food Administration and the signatures of the charwomen of the Natural History Building who pledged to follow these recommendations and conserve food during World War I, 1917. [Image no. SIA2014-05915]
This pledge sheet lists the recommendations of the U.S. Food Administration and the signatures of the laborers of the Smithsonian's Arts and Industries and Castle Buildings who pledged to follow these recommendations and conserve food during World War I, 1917. [Image no. SIA2014-05913]
This pledge sheet lists the recommendations of the U.S. Food Administration and the signatures of the laborers of the Smithsonian's Natural History Building who pledged to follow these recommendations and conserve food during World War I, 1917. [Image no. SIA2014-05914]
Memo by Acting Secretary R. Rathbun to Mr. Ravenel with regard to food conservation asking division heads to advise the Chief Clerk, Harry W. Dorsey, on the number of individuals who have pledged to conserve food; and followed by a copy of a letter from future President Herbert Hoover, head of the United States Department of Food Administration, requesting that Smithsonian staff pledge to conserve food and follow principles promoted by the United States War Food Administration; July 14, 1917. [Image no. SIA2014-05912]
Fisher et al. v. Harriet Lane Home et al., 1895-1905 - Briefs, motions, supporting evidence for the case [Image nos. SIA2013-03095 to SIA2013-03138]
The United States National Museum, now known as the National Museum of Natural History, building viewed across the Mall from one of the Smithsonian Institution Building's towers, May 3, 1917. [Image nos. SIA2009-2203 and 29528 and 92-3583]
The south entrance and dome of the Natural History Building, seen from the National Mall, post 1911 [Image nos. 28848 or 92-3581]
An aerial view of the construction of the Freer Gallery of Art after snowfall, February 4, 1918. [Image nos. 30092 or MAH-30092]
Here follow records of Smithsonian dealings with the Executive Office of the President, then with cabinet offices, and with other government agencies. Topics deal with matters affecting routine administration such as communicating presidential proclamations, releasing employees early on summer Saturdays, approving released time for attendance at encampments and parades of the Grand Army of the Republic, and the like. The records are arranged by office, and alphabetically thereunder.
Letter from Smithsonian Secretary Charles D. Walcott to Captain Roger Welles approving the loan of National Museum custodian and photographer (1917-1920) Loring Beeson to United States Naval Intelligence, Navy Department, Washington, D.C., with stipulations as to time allotted, January 8, 1918. [Image no. SIA2014-06978]
Letter from Captain Roger Welles of the United States Naval Intelligence, Navy Department, Washington, D.C. to Smithsonian Secretary Charles D. Walcott, stating custodian and photographer of the National Museum Loring Beeson's role in Naval Intelligence's photography will be in an advisory capacity only, January 12, 1918. [Image no. SIA2014-06980]
Letter from fourth Smithsonian Secretary Charles D. Walcott to Loring W. Beeson, photographer for the United States National Museum, informing Beeson that he is detailed to the Office of Naval Intelligence in an advisory capacity in expert photographic work, January 15, 1918. [Image no. SIA2014-06981]
Letter from William deC. Ravenel, Acting Secretary, to Assistant Secretary of the Navy (and future President of the United States) Franklin D. Roosevelt discussing a previous visit to the Smithsonian's United States National Museum, July 27, 1920. [Image no. SIA2014-06983]
Letter on Navy letterhead from (and signed by) Franklin D. Roosevelt, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, to William deC. Ravenel , Acting Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, saying he will take up the question of models, etc. when he returns to Washington, July 31, 1920.[Image no. SIA2014-06984]
During World War I, future President and Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt wrote a letter to fourth Smithsonian Secretary Charles D. Walcott thanking him for the list of names of water birds and waders prepared by Charles W. Richmond, an ornithologist and curator at the United States National Museum, February 26, 1918. [Image no. SIA2014-06985]